In general, in order to obtain a color photographic image by processing an imagewise exposed silver halide photographic material, the silver halide photographic material is processed in a color developing process, and the metallic silver formed in the process is desilvered and then processed in a subsequent washing process, stabilizing process or washing-substitute stabilizing process. In recent years, however, demand has risen for developing technology for super-rapidly processing photographic light-sensitive materials.
The conventional technology for rapidly processing those photographic light-sensitive materials may be broadly classified into three rapid processing techniques accomplished by:
(1) improving photographic materials, PA0 (2) physical means at the time of processing, and PA0 (3) improving the compositions of the processing solutions to be used in processing photographic materials.
As for the above (2), there are techniques for stirring processing solutions, such as those techniques for stirring the processing solutions inside an automatic processor as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication Open to Public Inspection (hereinafter referred to as Japanese Patent O.P.I. Publication) No. 180369/1987.
And, regarding the above (3), 1) techniques which use a development accelerator, 2) techniques for concentrating a color developing agent, and 3) techniques for lowering the concentration of halide ions, particularly bromide ion, and the like, are known.
Of the above-mentioned various rapid processing techniques, an example of the one relating to the above (1) include those techniques which use high light-sensitive silver chloride-content light-sensitive silver halide photographic materials as described in. e.g., Japanese Patent O.P.I. Publication Nos. 95345/1983, 19140/1985, 95736/1983, and the like. These techniques are excellent in achieving highly rapid processing. Such techniques have recently been made practical reality as seen in, e.g., `Ektacolor 2001 paper` manufactured by Eastman Kodak Company, and `KONICA Color QA Paper` by KONICA Corporation.
Any of these rapid processing techniques, however, tend to produce a fog in the unexposed area of photographic materials since they utilize physically or chemically highly active conditions. This is particularly a problem with light-sensitive photographic material of a high silver chloride content (especially, one having a silver halide containing not less than 80 mole % silver chloride) which tends to produce a fog all the more because of its rapid processability. Where the photographic material is a color photographic paper, the fog that appears in the unexposed area becomes such a serious problem as to lose the value of the material as a commodity.